Texas man arrested in armed robbery

A 40-year-old Texas man armed with a fully loaded (30-round magazine) 9 mm Glock pistol stormed into a local marijuana dispensary and and held an employee at gunpoint on Monday.

David Lopez, 40, of Texas, was arrested without incident and booked into Pueblo County Jail on multiple felony charges, including false imprisonment, kidnapping, aggravated robbery and menacing.

Just before 7 a.m. Monday, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at the Cannasseur Marijuana Dispensary on North Precision Drive in Pueblo West, said a news release from the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.

The caller reported a man had just forced an employee into the business at gunpoint and other employees were believed to be inside the building, the news release said.

“While the suspect was inside the building, he bound the hands of employees, ripped the phones from the wall and took a large amount of marijuana/THC products,” said Lisa Shorter, public information officer for the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.

“Deputies quickly and quietly surrounded the building,” Shorter said.

When the man ran from the store, he was forced onto the ground at gunpoint and taken into custody without incident by patrol deputies, she said.

“This could have very easily escalated into a deadly situation,” said Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk M. Taylor. “This suspect was heavily armed and had carefully planned his crime but because of the witnesses quick call into 9-1-1 and the rapid response by communications and patrol, the entire event was over in just over 30 minutes.”

The stolen items were still in his possession, the news release said.

Deputies discovered a vehicle parked at a nearby business with the license plates concealed, the release said.

It is believed the vehicle was parked there by Lopez as a getaway car, Shorter said.

Deputies have learned Lopez has been casing at least two other marijuana dispensaries in Pueblo West.

Precision Drive was closed during the incident but has since re-opened.